Joe Arrigo's 2012 Draft Series: TE Evaluations

The 2012 Tight End class is a below average class. Stanford's Coby Fleener leads the weak group of Tight Ends that includes Clemson's Dwayne Allen, Orson Charles from Georgia and LaDarius Green from Louisiana-Lafayette.

My Top 10 Tight Ends:

1. Coby Fleener – Stanford – 6-6 – 247:

Andrew Luck's go-to option in Stanford's passing game, Coby Fleener is a hybrid tight end prospect with the tools needed to be the next in the recent string of big, athletic prospects capable of effectively blocking and being matchup nightmares as receivers. A twoyear starter who has played in all 51 games possible the past four years, Fleener caught a total of 96 passes for 1,543 yards and 18 touchdowns over the course of his career with the Cardinal; his best statistical season came during his senior year in 2011 when he hauled in 34 receptions for 667 yards and 10 touchdowns. A large prospect with the combination of height, bulk, length (33 inch arms), and speed that you look for at the position, Coby offers a complete package of tools to the team that drafts him. A very reliable option as a receiver, Fleener has the versatility that you look for, having lined up both as an in-line tight end as well as out wide as a flex tight end, and even has experience lining up as a split-end receiver. While not a truly fast receiver, Coby has more build-up speed than explosion off the line of scrimmage, however he accelerates to his top speed quickly and once there, he has shown the ability to split the seam effectively and run away from defenses. Coming off of the line, he understands how to beat the jam with his size and strength, however this disrupts his route, as he's not one to quickly recover and accelerate down the field, but rather takes longer to pick up steam. He's not a quick-twitch player, however he has enough nimbleness to gain some separation down the field. Fleener has made his name by being able to catch the ball in traffic, and using his big frame, he understands how to use leverage to shield defenders away. Coby works well in the short-to-intermediate range where he has a very heady understanding of how to sit down in the soft spots in zone coverage to give his quarterback an open receiver to throw to down the field. Also experienced at working down the field Fleener displays great awareness when working outside the numbers as well as in the red zone where he has proven to be a dangerous weapon for the Cardinal thanks to his huge size and long arms. Coby owns excellent body control and ball skills, as he has proven to be capable of extending out and catching the ball reliably away from his body; his strong hands have allowed for him to make several catches in traffic while taking a hit, however what's impressive is how he is able to make acrobatic catches for how big of a player he is; he adjusts his body very well to incoming passes and understands how to climb the ladder and attempt to high point the ball in jump ball situations. In the open field, Fleener owns the nimble feet needed to work around defenders as well as the size and strength (27 reps on bench) to run through tackles, and has proven to be a very difficult player for defenders to bring down. As a blocker in the run game, Coby displays the technique and fundamentals that you look for, as he does a nice job of engaging the defender off the ball while staying square and churning his legs through contact. However, his functional strength here is average and he only gets a decent push off the ball; he won't be one to physically overpower the defensive end at the point of attack. Coby Fleener has the instincts and physical tools needed to contribute, if not start immediately at the next level. He has the receiving skills to develop into a very good No. 2 or No. 3 option in the passing game for an NFL team, and if he can continue to develop, he has the tools needed to be a quality blocker in the run game as well.